The switchover to the new DVB-T2/HEVC broadcasting standard will be carried out by Emitel specialists in two stages: on December 15 and 19. The change of the current broadcasting system from DVB-T/MPEG-4 to DVB-T2/HEVC is related to the refarming project, i.e. the release of the 700 MHz frequency for the 5G mobile network. The original date for the MUX3 switchover, planned for 2022, was postponed at the request of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration due to the war in Ukraine (the need to ensure access to information as well as the functioning of the RSO system).
The first stage of the switchover to the new standard will be carried out on the night of December 14 to 15 and will cover the western part of Poland, i.e. the following provinces: Zachodniopomorskie, Pomorskie, Lubuskie, Wielkopolskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Łódzkie, Dolnośląskie, Opolskie and Śląskie. In the second stage, on the night of December 18 to 19, the switchover will take place in the eastern part of Poland, i.e. in the following provinces: Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, Lubelskie, Świętokrzyskie, Małopolskie and Podkarpackie.
The activities planned for December are a continuation of the Emitel-led process of refarming the 700 MHz band, i.e. moving terrestrial TV multiplexes from the 694-790 MHz frequency to the lower 470-694 MHz band and changing the broadcasting standard to DVB-T2/HEVC. Nearly 300 Emitel experts and about 300 employees from 40 external companies were involved in the project, and the work involved more than 130,000 man-hours. By the Decree of the Office of Electronic Communication of June 7, 2022, the change in broadcasting standard did not include the MUX3 multiplex in 2022, and the public broadcaster was allowed to broadcast its programs in the DVB-T standard until the end of 2023 at the latest.
Once the changes have been made, a large proportion of TV sets or set-top boxes should update the program list themselves. For some TV receiver models, it may be necessary to search for channels again and update the program list on the remote control using commands from the receiver menu. Viewers with older TV receivers incompatible with the DVB-T2/HEVC standard will need to replace them or purchase a set-top box. It is not necessary to change the setting of the receiving antennas to receive the TV signal.
To provide viewers with additional time to tune in their receivers, TVP will carry out parallel broadcasts of selected programs on MUX3 and MUX6:
- TVP1, TVP2, TVP Info in the period from December 15, 2023 to January 12, 2024.
- TVP ABC and TVP Kultura in the period from December 19, 2023 to January 12, 2024.
Information on the planned changes and instructions on how to prepare for them can be found on the websites: